The Optimist Club of Butler County is encouraging area students to speak their minds about the topic “Why My Voice is Important” as part of the Optimist International Oratorical Contest for the 2012-2013 year.

The Optimist Club will judge the local students’ speeches based on content and presentation to determine the top winners.

Winners will receive monetary awards and the winning speeches will be sent to the zone level, and possibly the district level for the opportunity to win college scholarships.

Students under the age of 18 as of December 31, 2012, who have not yet graduated from high school or the equivalent, are eligible to participate.

“As they prepare for their future, many of our local students need experience expressing their thoughts and opinions to an audience,” Club President Deirdre R. Womack said.

“The Oratorical Contest challenges them to do just that and also offers an opportunity for scholarships.

“In this way, our club hopes to bring out the best in each of them and help them achieve their goals for the future.”

The deadline to hand in speeches is Thursday, Feb. 28.  Students wishing to participate in the oratorical contest can find out more about the contest by contacting the club at (334) 368-0435.

The Optimist Club of Butler County has been participating in the Optimist Oratorical Contest for 18 years and has been active in the community since 1993.

Other programs and service projects that the Club is involved in include  Childhood Cancer Campaign, Essay Contest, Respect for Law, Poster Contest and the Sweet Potato Festival..

Optimist International is one of the world’s largest service club organizations with 93,000 adult and youth members in 3,200 clubs in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico and throughout the world.

The Optimist Oratorical Contest is one of the organization’s most popular programs, with more than 2,000 clubs participating annually.

Carrying the motto “Bringing Out the Best in Kids,” Optimists conduct positive service projects that reach more than six million young people each year.

To learn more about Optimist International, call (314) 371-6000 or visit the organization’s website at www.optimist.org.